Interview with TERUHIRO YANAGIHARA —part 2

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Teruhiro Yanagihara Arles studio images2-ss.jpg — *acquire so much more if I can take a drastic step and have our studio in a different environment*

— Teruhiro Yanagihara / TERUHIRO YANAGIHARA STUDIO

JP

words : Reiji Yamakura/IDREIT

continue from part 1

“Interview with TERUHIRO YANAGIHARA —part 1”

— Next, could you tell me about the design you did for women’s fashion brand ‘Mame Kurogouchi’?

For me, doing this store was the first ever project I did with ‘Mame Kurogouchi’. It was a request to set up a directly managed store that will only open its doors to their customers on weekends in Hanegi area where they already have their own atelier.

I was surprised at the beginning because the plot that the fashion designer Ms. Kurogouchi chose for this project had a small terraced timber house. But then after hearing her determination to own a place, where they can explain and express everything with their own words, and to have it near the existing atelier instead of right in the middle of bright Tokyo city, I was convinced that this plot would actually be the most appropriate spot for her brand.

A boutique ‘Mame Kurogouchi’ is located in a tiny wooden row house in Hanegi, Tokyo.　The store design was inspired by the fashion designer Maiko Kurokawauchi's desire to create a store that fits the neighborhood. photography : Ichiro Mishima — A boutique ‘Mame Kurogouchi’ is located in a tiny wooden row house in Hanegi, Tokyo. The store design was inspired by the fashion designer Maiko Kurokawauchi's desire to create a store that fits the neighborhood. photography : Ichiro Mishima

— How did you come up with the design?

Mame Kurogouchi's fashion specialises in its style that brings out the best of craftsmanship, and is highly acclaimed by many professionals from around the world. So, I thought I would create this new store by having the same way of thinking as she does when she creates her own fashion pieces.

For this project I’ve decided to drive an innovation while using the existing techniques, and I did just that by creating a concrete space inside the small wooden building. Normally, if you want to have concrete interior inside a wooden building, you would probably use a paint to make it look like concrete.

But if I ever did that, it would be against Mame’s ideology, so I ended up pouring real concrete into the form I built inside the building. The concrete would get way too heavy If it’s set with a commonly used thickness, so I created the concrete wall with only 13mm thickness.

The interior before the renovation.　photography : Ichiro Mishima — The interior before the renovation. photography : Ichiro Mishima

teruhiro-yanagihara-mame-kurogouchi-hanegi-tokyo-japan-interior-design-idreit-c68.jpg

Concrete work in progress. photography : Ichiro Mishima

— 13mm?! Is that even possible?

Yes. we offered a construction company TANK that has high construction skills. We used the concrete with near-zero shrinkage rate, and tested the blending ratio many times until we could achieve the perfect concrete paste. They poured the concrete into the forms on-site, so the concrete ended up having a bit of a puff here and there, which made it look even more like a proper texture of concrete.

A detail of the wall covered with only 13mm thick concrete. photography : Ichiro Mishima

The wall surface is glossy due to the use of specially blended concrete. The ceiling and wall display shelves are made of lauan plywood.

— The approach you’ve installed here looks unique as well.

It’s a small shop, but I installed the approach that looks like it’s intentionally being pulled towards the back of the building, which creates the overall structure to have a special feeling to it, like a Japanese traditional tea room. For the fitting room, I set it up so that when you open the front curtain after you try on a clothing, you will be able to see the scene of the street outside. Also, for the backside of the building that’s facing the railway track, I chose to install a glass wall to bring in the urban scenery.

From the inside, the fitting room has a view of the front road. photography: Ichiro Mishima

Based on the idea of capturing the cityscape, the store has large windows at the back.

— Having a modern space that’s built with raw concrete, inside the old-looking terraced timber house; this contrast is quite interesting!

I intentionally designed the whole package so that the person looking at this shop will feel odd for having a concrete space in this location. Instead of using expensive building materials, keeping in mind the traditional tea room-like structure, I chose simple materials like concrete and lauan plywood, and expressed the uniqueness of the brand by working on its detail, and this resulted well with a shop that now well expresses Mame Kurogouchi’s philosophy.

— Not just limited to those 2 examples you’ve given us today, but I think you are good at creating designs that provide unique expression even when you only use common materials.

I always hope to create something that are different from the traditional ones by refining materials even when these materials are normal, common materials.

Talking about my personal preferences here, but I also like something that looks unrefined, so I am collecting antiques. Antiques can look unrefined today, but the latest techniques of the time back then were used to create these pieces, which I think is pretty interesting.

I think figuring out the methods to improve accuracy, or bringing the best of the techniques that did not exist back then into the current era, are something I can possibly do today, because creating something today that used to be the state-of-the-art in the past, while using exactly the same method they used back then, is the same as just creating their copies.

A wall detail of ‘1616/arita japan’ showroom in Saga Prefecture, Japan. The designer Yanagihara combined 2mm thick copper plates on the edges of the textured clay walls. photography: Takumi Ota

Yanagihara works as a creative director of the pottery brand ‘1616/arita japan’ and also designs products. This is the new "Anise Bowl" from the TY “Standard” series. photography: TERUHIRO YANAGIHARA STUDIO

— I see. You’ve talked about the comparison between Denmark and Japan today, but when you design normally, do you think about the Japaneseness?

Japaneseness as a design, no I don’t. But it would be a lie if I say I don’t think about the Japaneseness when it comes to the emotional state that’s in the background. I don’t know if it’s because I’m Japanese or not, but I put a great effort into accuracy. I also tend to put lots of effort into something in my own way, just like how I did with 1616/arita japan showroom’s clay walls.

Since I also do the product designing, my requirements for the final result are always detailed, so people would hate me when I demand for a brick or tile joint to have a 2mm thickness! But when craftsmen say, “Let’s see what we can do” and really work hard towards it, we can achieve a really great result together that makes everyone feel good in the end.

— Recently, you are also thinking about the operation and the location of your design firm. Am I right?

Yes. Not right now because we have COVID-19 situation, but to add to the Osaka office I already have, I’ve been looking for a place in Europe. I found a nice place in Arles in South France, and I am now preparing to open our deisn studio, and a place that works both as a gallery and a shop there.

In the past when I used a detached house in Kyoto as my office, I had a lot of interactions with the overseas visitors. For the past 3 years, we had been back in Osaka because of the high convenience of the city, and to be honest I am fully satisfied with its function as a design firm, but I hope I can acquire so much more if I can take a drastic step and have our studio in a different environment.

A historic building in Arles, France, where Yanagihara is preparing to open his design studio and gallery&shop.

In this interview, we are able to listen to stimulating episodes, from his way of thinking that forms the core part of his designs, to the environment he works in.

Instead of chasing after the latest trend, Mr. Yanagihara says he wants to design something ubiquitous and timeless. He knows that a touch and detail of a design affect a lot on the impression a viewer will have towards the design, and perhaps that is why he continues to focus on those aspects whenever he designs.

There is something attractive about Yanagihara’s designs that are created as a result of him understanding well about the true nature of his clients, and knowing well about the background of the craftsmanship and production precedure.